Advertisement
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton handpicked 53 projects to share in $8.5 million for security cameras and safety lighting ahead of the last federal election, only five of which were in safe Labor seats.
The opposition has asked the Auditor-General to examine the Safer Communities Fund after departmental documents revealed Mr Dutton diverted almost half the total pool of funding away from recommended projects to his handpicked ones in January 2019.
The Home Affairs department warned Mr Dutton he âmay be criticisedâ if he decided to âmake funding decisions that do not reflect the order of meritâ.
Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
A Home Affairs department briefing to Mr Dutton, released under freedom of information to the ABC, listed the top 70 projects able to be funded with the $17.5 million available.
Why Peter Dutton has questions to answer over grants
We’re sorry, this service is currently unavailable. Please try again later.
Dismiss
February 11, 2021 6.31pm
Normal text size
Advertisement
Liberal ministers talked a big game when they took power in September 2013 and promised to toughen the test on how they would spend taxpayers’ cash. Weeks after being sworn in, Tony Abbott and his cabinet halted about $3 billion in annual grants while they checked where the money was going.
No response: the Minister for Home Affairs, Peter Dutton.
Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
“We have started a process of scrutinising more rigorously all of the discretionary grants spending across government,” said Mathias Cormann, finance minister at the time. He booked an immediate saving of $975 million.
Peter Dutton s office fast-tracked one-off grant proposal days after donation given to support him
WedWednesday 10
updated
WedWednesday 10
Peter Dutton awarded a one-off grant to the National Retail Association.
(
Share
Print text only
Cancel
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton s office fast-tracked a one-off $880,000 grant proposal to a retail association eight days after it made a $1,500 political donation to the Queensland Liberal National Party at an event Mr Dutton attended for the purpose of personally supporting him.
Key points:
The National Retail Association (NRA) made a $1,500 donation to the Queensland LNP, saying it was to support
Peter Dutton
One week later Mr Dutton asked that an application by the NRA for a funding grant be considered sooner